Weed cutter



H. L. BOOTH WEED CUTTER Filed June 19. 1929 www@ TTORNEY.

Patented ug. 4,

ATENT OFFICE f UNITED sTAias HERBERT I1. BOOTH, OF BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA wenn CUTTER Application mea :une 19,

' 10 of its class with respect to greater efficiency of operation in proportion to the amount of power required for its propulsion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a weed cutter in which each cutting element, together with the part of which said .element is att-ached, may be conveniently stamped out by a single operation of a die, thus providing astrong, simple construction at a low manufacturing cost.

Other objects-and advantages may hereinafter appear.`

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device, the -lawn mower to which it is attached being 'partly shown by dotted lines. v

Referring in detail to the drawings, the 30 ground wheels 5 support between them a combined axle and multiple crank shaft 6 which,

' in the present embodiment of the invention is provided with the three crank shaft portions 7, 8 and 9. Said crank shaft portions 7 35 8 and 9 are each designed toftrail behind them a weed cutting device 10 which in the present embodiment of the invention comprises two tooth plates 11 held in a vertical position and 'attached together in spaced relation to each 4o other by a front spacer 12 and rear spacer 13.

Between said spacers 12 and 13 each of said plates is provided with a relatively large pref- 'erably elliptical opening 15, the length of 'said opening being at least twice the radius of 45 the crank portion of the shaft 6 to which the l1929. Serial No. 372,176.

front ends of said plates are loosely connected.

` Each of said plates 11 is provided with a digging tooth 16. Said plates 11 together with their teeth 16 are preferably identical in construction and made of relatively thin L.,

plates of metal so that they may be completely stamped out by a die at a single operation.

Each of said plates 10 and 11 isprovided at its front end with an extension e in the forward end of which is a hole f through which .j;

loosely extends the portion of the shaft behind which said plate is trailed.

The appliance is desirably constructed to be pushed in front of a lawn mower, and when thus constructed is provided at each side with a push bar 20 having a vertically slotted downward extension part 21 at about its mid length. The slot 22 of said downward eX- tension is designed to receive the end portions of a cross bar 25, each end of said bar being secured in a vertically adjusted position by means of the clamping nuts 27 and 28.

The rear end of each of said push bars is provided with a toothA with which cooperates a tooth 31k of a gripping jaw which is secured to the rear portion of said push bar 20 by means of a combined pivot and clamping bolt 33 which is provided with a thumb nut 34.- The jaw construction which has just been described is designed for attachment to the bar ,t1 at each side of the lawn mower.

The cross bar 25 is provided with a series of properly spaced pins which are arranged to guide the movements of the cutting devices 10. Said pins 45 are long enough to bridge at all times the elliptical openings 15 through the paired plates 11 of said cutting devices.

Keeper pins t6 are provided in crank shaft 6 to hold in place the portions of plates 1.1 pivoted to .said shaft.

In operation, when the device is attached to a lawn mower, as indicated in the drawings, when the lawn mower is put into operation the device is pushed in advance thereof and the forward movement of the ground wheels conveys the device forward as a whole and at the Vsame time rotates the crank shaft 6 thus causing each weed cutting device l0 to advance 'forward at a varying speed. Vhen the particular crank portion behind whichv one of saidA devices is being trailed is in the uppermost position the speed of the weed cut- 'fore Vat a uniform speed. .The force required to urge them rorward at the higher speeds provided is but slightly greater than the force which would be required to. propel them at a slower speed. s Y

The openings through the traction plates or barsl() andll are. suliic'iently long lto permit the crank portions 28 and 29 to move said tract-ion bars `forward and rearward with respect to the ground wheels the length et the stroke ol2V said crank portions.. Said openings 115 are also 'of sufficient vertical dimensions'to permit thediggingteeth 16 to remain in conta-Et with the soil'at all times during the 'advanced' the,r implement.

When it is desired to transport the imple.

ment in an inoperative position, the push bars thereof are swung back upon the lawn mower in the position indicated by dotted lines,

Claims: Y

1. In a device of they character described, ground wheels, a shaft, operatively connected with said ground wheels'to be rotated there,- by, said shaft having a plurality of crank portions, a plurality'o vertically disposed lates connected vwith said lcrank portions to trailed thereby, said plateshaving toothed portions adapted to engage, the'soil, propelling arms operatively connected with said ground wheels, and a cross-bar connecting said propelling arms, there being openings in said plates through which said cross-bar extends, said openings being otra sufhcient size to permit, said crank portions to reciprocate said plates, without withdrawing said toothed portions oi said plate from the soil.

'2. In al device of the character described, a soil-engaging implement comprising two toothed plates, means to, secure. said plates together in parallel spaced relation tok each other, a vehicle frame, ground wheels to. aid in supporting said frame, and meansl opera,-

This arrangement f tively connected with said ground wheels to trail said toothed plates over the `ground at varying speeds, there being a cross bar which forms part o' said Jframe, sai-d plates having openings through which said cross-bar extends, said openings being of suliicient size to permit said plates to reciprocate as the speed at which they are trailed varies, said openings being of suiiicient vertical extent to permit the teeth 'of said plates to remain in the soil while the implement advances.

3. In a device of theA character described, ground wheels, a 'shaft operatively'connected with said ground wheels to be rotatedV thereby, said shaft having a crank portion, a tractiOIl bfll' having itsiront end pivotally mounted upon said crank portion, a digging implement in fixed relation to the rear portion of said traction bar, a :trame mounted upon said ground v'wheels and laterally enclosing said traction bars, said frame having a cross bar eXtending'rom side to sidethereof, there being an opening in said traction bar through which said'cross bar extends, said opening being oi a sufficient .size to permit said traction bar to maintain said digging implement at all times in contact with the soil.

l. In a device of the character described, a push frame having'fside bars anda cross bar Vwhich connects said cross. bars intermediate their ends, a shaft extending from yside to side of the front ends of said frame and rotatably mounted in said side bars, a

traction bar having its front end in a pivotal engagement withthe crank portion of said shaft, said traction har having a digging implement secured to the rear portion thereof and having also an opening through which said cross bar extends, saidopening being of suihcient size to permit said digging implement to remain at all times inicontact with the soiL 5 In a device of the character' described, a digging implement vcomp-rising a pair o `elongated platesmeans to secure saidplates together in parallel spaced fixed relation to each other, one end ofeaeh of said plates Vloeing tapered and curved; to forma .digging tooths and means to trail said pair of plates across the surface of the-soil in position to perform their `digging function. p y

6., In a device of the character described, a push framercomprising a push `bar at each side thereof, a rod extending transversely of said rameand securing said push bars togetherl intermediateY their ends, means at one end of said pair of push bars adapted to detachably secure them to the frame of a lawn mower, a shaft carried by and eXtend ingacross the other end of said pair of push rods, groundwheels mounted on said shaft,

said shaft having'crank portions, a plurality of traction bars: having their/front ends pivotally mounted upon said crank por-tions to be thereby trailed at various speeds as the lli vehicle advances, and digging implements carried by the rear portions of said traction bars, said traction bars having openings through which the aforementioned cross bar extends, said openings being of sufficient size to permit sai-d digging implements to remain uniformly imbedded in the soil as the vehicle advances.

In y'testimony whereof I hereby aiiix my signature.

HERBERT L. BOOTH. 

